For Martyn Coffey, Marshalls is a business that makes more than mere paving
slabs. It is a leader in “street furniture”. That means, in his words,
“basically everything you can see in an urban landscape which is not
paving”, things like anti-terrorism security bollards, benches, signs and
lighting.

It is a list of everyday essentials that Mr Coffey is about to get
increasingly familiar with as the next chief executive of Marshalls. He will
be taking over in October from Graham Holden, a 26-year veteran of the
Huddersfield-based group.